Gold separator and amalgamator.



. PATENTED JULY 28, 1908. 0. H. HALL & J. ELDRIDGE. GOLD SEPARATOR ANDAMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1907.

ZZ I347? a @2 A NEY WITNESSES:

STAT-Es' PATENT OFFICE.

I cHARLEs H. HALL AND oHN- ELDRIDGE, OF ASTORIA, OREGON.

GOLD SEPARATOR AND AMALGAMATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. HALL and JOHN ELDRIDGE;01tiZeI1S of theUnited States, residing at Astoria, in the county of 'Clatsop and Stateof Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gold Separatorsand Amalgamators, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an apparatus which is designed to separate goldand other metals from associated sand, and generally to separate heavierfrom lighter substances by centrifugal action, and to simultaneouslyamalgamate such metals as are capable of amalgamation. I

It comprises combinations and arrangements ofparts and details ofconstruction .which will'be more fully explained by reference to thewhich Figure 1 is an elevation and partial section. Fig. 2 is anelevation 'atright angles with Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 aresections showing modifications of the interior of the apparatus. I

1 re resents a frame-work upon which a vertica shaft 2 is journaled inbearings 34,

accompanying drawings, in

and driven at high speed'by a belt'on pulley. 5. Upon shaft 2 andrevolving with it, is

mounted a spider 6 to which is bolted a cylinder 7 having in its insidesurface "a number of grooves ,8 extending entirely around the cylinder,and these may, if desired, 'be divided at frequent, intervals byvertical artitions 9, the edges of which are set slightly back of thoseof grooves 8.

Grooves 8 are not necessarily, of the form shown; but may be made of anysuitable shape, and there may also be a greater or less number thanshown.

To the upper end of cylinder 7 is bolted a hood 10 having a cylindricalneck 1 1. Within hood 10 and also secured to shaft 2 is a conical disk12 having a number of radial ribs 13, the outside edges of which extendbeyond disk 12 and are turned off true and fitted closely to inside ofhood 10 which is bored out to fit them. There may be a greater or lessnumber of ribs 13 than shown, and they may be either strai ht or curvedas best to suit the material being worked. Extending at an angle intothe top-of neck 11 is a suitable trough or spout 14 for feeding materialinto the machine; or this may be a pipe leading from a centrifugal orother pump.

Around the lower end of cylinder 7, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 11, 1907, Serial No. 356,743.

Patented July as", 1908.

extending for some distance below it, is a sheet iron casing 15, thefront half of which is hung by slotted holes 16 upon bolts 17 so as tobe easily removable. Below casing 15 is a discharge spout 18 having itsouter end restin'gon stop 20.

In operation mercury or an amalgam is fed into the machine at the top,and striking the ribbed disk 12, is'thr0wn outward-by cen- "trifugalaction, and coming in contact with the curved inner'surface of hood 10,is gradually forceddownward, by gravity and the addition of morematerial above until it completely fills grooves 8. .Sand containingmetal to be separated is then fed into the top of machine through spout14, along with a stream of water, and is at once caught by ribbed disk12 and spread by centrifugal action around the inner surface of hood 10,and radually forced downward over the mercury led grooves 8. Themercury, owing to its specific gravity, retains its position in grooves8 only the heavier metals dis lacing or amalgamating with it, and thelig ter waste materials being forced downward and discharged throughspout 18. The cylinder 7 may. be made slightly taper- 1ng.as in Fig. 3inorder tofacilitate the flow of material through it; or the grooves 8 maybe dispensed with altogether, as in Fig. 3-, and the cylinder lined witha1nalga mated plates 21 of various shape according to thelnature ofmaterial being worked.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus for separating and amalgamating.metals, a hollow, vertically journaled, substantially cylindrical andrevoluble barrel or chamber with annular horizontal grooves in its innersurface to retain mercury by centrifugal force, vertical particonehaving a less angle than the hood, radial vanes fixed to the conewith their outer edges in close proximity to the interior of the hood, asource of su ply at the topof the hood, and a receiver a d dischargebeneath the apparatus.

2. In an apparatus of the character de-' scribed, a substantiallycylindrical barrel with an upwardly convergent superposed hood, withmeans to supply material thereto, In testimony whereof we have hereuntoset 10 said hood and barrel having annular channels ourhandsin presenceof two subscribing witof different depths, a cone within the hoodnesses.

- having radial vanes whose edges are in close OHARLES H. HALL. roxnmtywlth the nterlor of the grooved hood, vertical intercepting diaphragmsfit- JOHN ELDRIDGE' ting the grooves of the barrel, a removableWitnesses:

caslng inclosing the lower art of the barrel, JOHN H. SMITH,

and a receiving floor and ischargechute. A. M. SMITH.

